Shock-absorber.



M. HOUDAILLE.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.17, 1912.

1,087,021.. e Patented Feb. 10,1914`y I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. HOUDAILL.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 17, 1912.

' 1,087,017, Patented Feb.10,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

of the said apparatus.

UNTTED YSTATES PATENT OFFICE. MAURICE HOUDAILLE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOIt T LA SOCIETE HOUDAILLE ET SABOT, 0F PARIS; FRANS-E.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

paratus in which liquids circulate, more particularly in shock absorbers for vehicles, either by means of a recuperator of losses or by means of a compensator fed entirely or part-ly by leakages of the liquid of the ap! paratus; (2) for adjusting the initial resistance of the shock absorbing apparatus Ato a given load, and regulating the variation of the said resistance in accordance with the movement of the movable body the shocks of which ai'e to be absorbed.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is ay vertical section at a right angle to the axis of the apparatus, in which the functions of' compensating and replacing the leakages', are obtained by means of one auxiliary Chamber. Fig. 2 is a section parallel to the axis Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, of another construction according to this invention in which the A functions of compensating and recuperating the lealages are effected by means of separate chambers. Fig'. 4 is a section on line C-C of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to that of Fig. 3, of modified constructions with separate chambers. Figs. 7 and 8 are sections made respectively on lines D-D and E-E of Fig. 4. Figs. 9-14 are `diagrammatic views of the central .portion of the shock absorbing device, showing more particularly the arrangements that can be used on the apparatus, for the purpose of varying the regulation in accordance' with the method of braking adopted, Figs. 9 and 10 being respectively sections on lines J-J and K-K of Fig. 11 which is a section o'n broken line L M- N of Fig. 9. and Figs. 13 and 14 are sections, similar to those of Figs. 9 and 10, of another arrangement.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a cylindrical cas,- ing 1 divided into two compartments by a fixed partition 2. In the center of the said casing is arranged a hollow spindle `3 prol- Specicatin of Letters Patent.

is secured by'boltsl to the frame of the vehicle, while the spindle 3 is connected by means of a connecting rod to the straps of each spring. Each apparatus being thus arranged, the two blades 4 and 5 can move in the interior of the cylinder under the act-ion of various movements of the spring, on condition that the liquid can pass freely from one chamber into the other. This regulation takes place through conduits 10, 11, proL vided in the spindle of the rotary piston, the cross-section of which conduits can be adj usted as will be hereinafter explained. The

chamber 8 communicates with each of theV compartments of the cylinder 1 by means of valves 12, 13, which are automatically opened in order to allow liquid to pass into the compartment and closed to prevent any liquidfrom returning into the chamber 8.

The'spindle 3 passes through the disk 6 and the cover'7 by means of a stuffing box consisting of leather washers14 penetrating Patented Feb. 10, 1914. Application med January 11:, 1912. semi No. sri-,727.

into grooves 15 ofl the said spindle and@ tightened or compressed by means 'of a ring 16 screwed -into the hub17 of the disk 6. Another packing washer 19 made of leather or other suitable material, is compressed between the end ofthe hub 17 and the inner face of the cover 7, and penetrates into`--a groove 20 of the spindle 3. Another groove 18 with a sharp edge is 'provided on the spindle 3 between the grooves 15 and 20, and

communicates by means of conduits 2 1 22 in the ring 16 vand in the hub 17, with the 100 l tank 8. When thus constructed, the apparatus renders it possible to obtain automatic recuperation and compensation ofleakagethat may take pla-ce during working. This double function is obtained as follows: Buriiig the alternate movement transmitted to the blades 4, 5 owing to the movements of the spring, the liquid is' submitted to a certain pressure which has the, tendency to force it through the stufiing box 14. The few dropsJ -forfiiable conical rings 27, 28 are inserted `oil.: liquid due to the leakagen thus produced, after having passedthe washer 14, meet the groove 18 with a sharp. edge whence, being no longer exposed to the pressure, the said drops fall vthrough the conduits 21 22 into a tank 8 which they feed.

During the movement of the blades 4 5, there takes lace alternately, at each side vof the partitlon, a period of depression and of suction,which has the tendency to open the valves 12 13, and consequently to draw into the tank 8 a quantity of liquid lcorresponding to that escaping through the stuff ing box. In this construction,I the maximum quantity of liquid thatmust be contained in the tank 8, does not reach the level of the bottom portion of the hub 17, in order that the discharge of the said liquid can take place freely. A plug 23 arranged on the cover 7, enables the level in question to bel fixed exactly. The liquid could fill the tank 8, but in thatv case there would be the drawback of a possible leak through the outer stuiiing box 20 bathing in the liquid.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 'and 4, the apparatus comprises three adjoining chambers: The first one, constitutedl by the cylindrical casing 1, forms the Working chamber for the brake parts of the shock absorber; the second one, 24 formed in the .thickness of the disk 6, is used for recovering leakages, and the third one, 25, made in the-cover 7, is used for making up orvcompensating for any empty' space or vacuum that may existin the rst chamber l. These three chambers are of annular shape, and arranged concentrically with the spindle 3y carrying the braking blades.

rlhe other arrangements of the apparatus are the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the peculiarity however that the inner stuffing box is constituted by two supple packing washers 14, 19 pressed. in opposite directions by suitable springs 26 (Belleville washers or others), against the disk 6, the cover 7 and the spindle 3. Indebetween the supple washers 14, 19, andthe springs 26, in order to regulate the pressure of the latter, whatever be their deformation. One or more drip grooves 18 are made in the spindle 3 opposlte the recess containing the s rings 26, in order to prevent circulation a ongthe spindle of the liquid arising fromi leakages. y

The space in which t .e springs 26 are arranged communicates, by means of a conduit 21, with the recuperating chamber 24 which, in its turn, communicates with the .working chamber-1 by meansof a conduit 29 made in the bottom of partition 6, and a .hole 30 made inthe casing. Valves 31 conjstitfuted for instance by flexible blades, rest at each side of the partition 2 against the orices of the hole 30. @n the otherhand,

Loenen flexible blade 33. Being' thus combined with 1, the chambers Q4 and nn:l\c it possible the recuperating chamber 21 communicates vwith the compensatingchambcr '2.3 through a hole 32 made in the parlitif n sepa-.rating the two chambers 2l and 2.7, and closed. at

the side of the rccuperaling chamber. bj; a

each other and with the working chambers to obtain automatic recupcraiion and com pensation as m the construction prenons-ly describcdi If the quantity of liquid leaking tlm-nigh, 1 which passes into the rccupcratingl chamhcr 211, is equal to that escaping from the working chamber, the valve 33T in order to prevent any intrmluclinn into the recuperator of the rcserre liquid contained in the compensator. 'l'he result is that all the liquid collected by the rc.- cuperator, passes iirst into the working chamber 1, before any admission ot' liquid from the con'ipcnsator takes place. ll. on the contrary, the quantity of liquid passing into the recuperator is- 'for any rincon smaller than that escaping -from the working chamber 1, there will be produced in thc said r-eeuperator a comparative vacuum which will bring' about the opening of the valve 33, so that a certain quantity of liquid troni g the compensator will be drawn in and pass into the working chamber 1 through the reeuperator.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 5, the compensating chamber 25 communication between the recuperator 24 and the said working chamber.

The working of the device shown in Fig.

5, differs somewhat from that of the device shown 1n Fig. 3, .in that during the suction period and, consequently, the opening of' 011e of the valves 36, the latter simultanej ously uncovers the orifices of passage of the liquid coming' from the recupera tor and from the compensator. During that period of opening of the valve 36, the supply ot drawn in liquid coming from the com I pensator is "however considerably smaller ythan that coming from the recuperator 21,

for three reasons: Theforifices 30, being fart-her away :fromqthe spindle 3 than the orifices 35, a stronger., suction takes place I at the circumference, that is to say, through the orifices 30. 2. The cros'sfsection of the orifices 30 is greaterthan thatof the orifices 35. 3. The resistance to thefiow oit the liquid through the orices 35.*is greater than.

oll'eringsullicicnt. rc,- sistance, remains in contact. with its seat,

Each oi the j that through the orifices 30, owing to the tension of the bladesv 36'being smaller for the orifices 30, than for 35.

During the return of the liquid into the working compartments 1, the air bubbles that may be contained inthe latter, escape through a capillary tube 32 terminating at each side of v he upper portion of the parti- The modilied construction shown 1n 6, gives the same conditions of automatic.

recuperation andcompensation. In the said modified construction, the recuperating tank is disposed concentrically around the stuffing box, in the chamber of the latter, and communicates with the working compartment l through a conduit 29 terminating, near the circumference of the said compartment, in orifices 30 arranged at each side of the bottom partition 2 and provided with valves 36. The compensating tank 25 is concentric with the recuperatin and .communicates with the wor 'ing compartment l through a conduit 34 provided in the thickness of the partition 2 and ter-- minating, near the spindle 3,- in orifices 35 j also arranged at each side of the bottom artition 2 and closed by valves 36.

`The 4working of the construction shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that of the construction of Fig. 5. The special arrangement of the; cover 7 jointed directly to the casing Y and around the disk 6, makes it possible to passing also the rod 38.

avoid the drawback of leakages of liquid escaping from the apparatus through the joint of the said cover 7.

Automat/c and adjustable adverteer-In all the constructions shown by way of example, the spindle 3 of the blades is provided longitudinally with a cylindrical hole to receive a rod 38. provided with a collar 39 resting against the end of the spindle 3. This rod 38 isheld in place by a nut 40 used to secure the crank handle on the square portion of the spindle 3, and terminates ina split or polygonal head or 'in a head of any other shape, passing through the said nut. The said head .canbe operated'from the outside in order to turnthe rod 38 in the spindle 3. The portionof the spindle .3 situated in the working chamber l, is provided, as already described, Vith transverse :conduits 10 and 11 through' theperforated end of These Aconduitsl() and 11 inter- .dle 3 and the blades 4, 5

tank 24` .the compartments L e sect each other at different points of the length of the spindle 3 and are arranged so ,that the conduits 10 establishing communication between the compartments c and d of the apparatus,1which correspond to the eX- pansionyor rebound of the springs (arrow R, Fig. 9), should be less numerous or of smaller cross-section than the conduits 11 establishing communication between the' other-twocompartments a and b corresponding to the compression or to the yielding of the springs (arrow A). Moreover, the spinare provided with conduits 44 closed by valves43 and terminating in the compartments c and d. These various conduits 10, 11 and 44 are controlled by a kind of cock plug, constituted by the perforated end of the rod 38, which, according to the previous position of adjustment given to it in the spindle 3 regulates the cross-section ofthe passage of the said conduits. On the other hand, this plug renders it possible to obtain, according to the arrangement of its ports or openings, either a smaller braking at the settling or yielding l(A) than at the rebound (It) or brakingof the same extent in both directions, or practically no braking in'the direction of yielding.

In the various constructions illustrated, the compartments 0 d communicate both with each other and with the compartments a b by a single conduit 10, while a and b communicate with each other by means of two conduits 11 of the same cross-section as those 10. This larrangement enables a greater braking .to be obtained during the rebound, than during the yielding, as will be hereinafter explained. The same conditions of stronger braking'in one direction than in the other, can also be obtained by the construction shown in Figs. 9-11, in which the conduits 10 and 11 are distributed in equal numbers at each side of the blades. In the said construction, Figs. 9-11, the perforated rod 38 is providedat one side only with one series of holes 4l arranged opposite one of the series of holes 10 of the spindle 3, and on the other side, with two series of holes 42 corresponding to those 11 of the said spindle. It comprises moreover a third series of holes 45 cooperating with those 44 of the valves 43; The working'of e durin the yielding.

of the rebound. The regulation of the crosssection of the passage ofthe conduits 10, l1 and 44, is previously eiected for a given initial load, by accordingly turning the rod 5 38. During the period of yielding, the blades 4, 5 compress in the compartments a and b the liquid which passes both through the conduits 44 and the valves 43, as Well as through the conduits 10, so that the resistance to the escape of the liquid is the smaller as there is produced a kind of depression in thetsub-divisions c, d, opposite u, b, in which the said compression takes place.

rebounding, the said liquid, eing unable to pass through the valves 43. (which are then held closed by pressure), passes entirely through the conduit 10. As the cross-sec-v tion of the said conduit l0 on which the of which are to be damped (by means ofv the rod 38 playing the part of a regulating cock. This arrangementl of the holes 10, 11, in combination With the meansI for regulating their cross-section, therefore enables the same apparatus to be applied to vehicles with different loads, while keeping the same proportion in the braking during the yielding and during the rebound. v

In the lmodified, construction shown in Fig.12, the holes 41, 42 and 45 of the regu- 45 lating rod 38 are arranged in combination with the holes 10, 11 and 44 of the spindle so as to produce the same braking during the yielding and during the rebound. To that end, the rod 38 is provided With as many holes 41, 42, as there are holeslO, 11

and 44'Which are distributedin equal num- .bers at each side of the spindle 3. Moreover the holes 41, 42 and 45 of the rod 38, are all equal'. `According to this construction, when the rod' 38 is turned, the-same ad- .justment of the cross-section of passage of all the conduits 10, 11 and 44, will be efifected, so that the liquid will meet with the -K ksaine resistance inpassing from one oom- `(50 partmentto another .during the'period of yielding as during the eriod of rebound.

In the other modifie construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the holes of the rod are made so that the braking is equal to zero On the contrary, When the blades 4i l5 5 compress the liquid durinvr the period of iper/,civ

lt imust be pointed out that in this case it is4 not absolutely essential that there should be no resistance at theyielding, it is sufficient that there should not be sufficient resistance, in order that there should not be any braking. rlhis result is obtained by giving to the holes 42 ofthe rod 38 a crosssection twice that of the` holes 11 of the spindle 3. The holes 45 corresponding t0, the holes 44, have the same cross-section as that of the holes 42, in Fig. 14. According to this construction, when the `rod 38 is turned, the hole 10 of the compartments c and Z corresponding to the rebound, is more or less closed, but the conduits 11 corre- 80 sponding to the yielding always remain open to an extent at least double the original extent of the conduit 10. The liquid being unable to pass through the conduits 10, escapes freely through the conduits 44 With 85 valves 43 only during the period of yielding.

' The sp`cial combination of regulating rods, being interchangeable,it is possible to obtain instantaneously the .three above mentioned dierent conditions of progressive braking on a shock absorber of a suitable system. It is sufficient/for the purpose to arrange a set of vthree rods with holes of cross-sectional areas of passage corresponding to each of these conditions, in order to i enable all the three to be obtained with the same apparatus.

Instead of makin the three rods- 38 linterchangeable, only o e of them could be provided, comprising orices of the desired` arrangement and dimensions, so as to enable the same conditions of regulation to be obtained, by turning it lfor instance to onethird A'of a revolution for fulfilling each of 106 the said conditions. v

The constructions hereinbefore described, are given merely by way of example, and the s apes,material, dimensions, detail arrangements and applications can vary with- 1.10

out departing from this invention.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1-. In a fluid check shock absorber, a cylinder having a radial partition, a rotary piston therein, having a shaft projecting through the wall of said cylinder, a stuffing box for said 'shaft having a liquid collecting chamber, an annular chamber vreceiving liquid from said stuhng box chamber and means for automatically edecting the return of the liquid from said annular 'cham-l ber to the cylinder. j, l 2.In a fluid heck shock absorber a cylinder havinga radial partitimfa Swingin piston having a' shaft projecting from sai cylinder, a stung bor: encircling said shaft having an annular leakage Huid collection channel or chamber, an annular compensating chamber for receiving such leakage 130 fluid from the chamber of -the sutuiiing,box,

passages leading from said -compensating chamber lto the cylinder, and check valvescontrolling said passages.

3. In afluid check shock absorber, .a cylinder having a radial partition, a removable wall for one end of said cylinder, having a tubular extension, a radial piston hav.

,ing box having a leakage chamber communicating wlth said annular chamber, said annular chamber having communication y.

with the interiorof the cylinder, a check valve controlling'said last named communication paages from the interior `of said hollow shaft o the interior of the cylinder, and a rotary valve in said hollow shaft for controlling said passages.

In testimony vwhereof I have Signed my Yname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. f

MAURICE HOUDAILLE.

Witnesses:

ANDR SABOT, H. C. Coxn. 

